The Silver Sword

I read this many times when I was young and enjoyed it greatly. Was thinking about the story after seeing a movie on tv and wanted to read the story again. The 3 children go through many hardships, but are finally reunited with two of the children's father. Great story.

This is a great book for children. It is a very easy book to read, though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who's looking for a very raw depiction of the holocaust. The book follows a family struggling to survive in a war-torn country. Their only goal is to reunite with some if not all of their missing relatives.

This one takes me WAY back. I first read this when in sixth grade. I was pleased I was able to track down a copy to re-read at age 68. I was not disappointed. I think elementary and junior high school boys and girls would enjoy reading this as well, especially since it's not focused on boys, with a leading role given to a teenage girl.

I bought this to give as a gift and was amazed by the extras...the map in the front and the questions and history of the story at the back.

Beautifu story about how strong will to survive and to be reconnected will love ones during II WW.This story is close to my heart because I was born in Poland and my parents went trough this horrible time.Great read *****

I read this book when I was in 3rd grade. I now have a 3rd grader and decided to buy this book so we can read it together. It is a heart warming story and one of sadness too.

As a young student my teacher read this book aloud to my class. It stayed with me for 45 years. I am now reading it aloud to my grandson, we are enjoying it immensely.

I read this when I was 9, and so I bought it for my 8 year old daughter too.

I am very surprise by the people who rated the book 1, 2 or 3 stars! It avery good book and anyone should read it.It feels as if you are doing the same thing. Modern people who will never feel this.Young people should not complain about life because there are people who had bad life and had to suffer also some people who have this they don't complain then why should we.

I really liked this book abd got hooked. The story showed each of the children caring for each other. Action packed scenes like the storm of 1945, the journey down the river, and the night of the German storm troopers bring tbe suspense to the story. My friend recommended this book for me and now I recomend this to all. A really good book - must read.

I first read "The Silver Sword", as lesson book for English, in first year at secondary school, when I was 12-13 years old. It must have made a strong impression on me, since I now wanted to read it again, nearly 40 years later. The main characters are four Polish children, whose lives are over-turned by the events of Nazi occupation of Warsaw, their escape, journey and ordeal, as they try to re-unite with their father in Switzerland. Before starting the story, one could first read the author, Ian Serraillier's "Afterword", to form an understanding of the author's experience and intent. Although the author never witnessed these events, as a teacher, he was moved by features and photographs in magazines such as "Picture Post", showing the devastation, upheaval and displacement in children's lives, to the point he felt compelled to write this story.The story is all the more interesting through its sub-texts; the subjects of fate and fortune, loss, human/child endurance and inspiration from the little silver sword. When the story begins, the children, Ruth 12 years, Edek 11 and Bronia 3, Warsaw is occupied by the Nazis, their father has been taken to a work-camp. At night, soon afterwards their mother is taken away by storm-troopers. They have to escape as the storm-troopers blow-up their home. They do escape. In the ruins of Warsaw, they meet-up with "Jan", an almost feral boy, whose instincts help them to survive and who was given the silver sword by the father. The silver sword is a little letter opener, but becomes a talisman, a link to which the three children are re-united with their parents.After all these years, this is still an absorbing story. The characters could still be representatives of children in more recent and current wars. The story was written with children in mind, but it is written with conviction and integrity.

Children's classic that is still a wonderful read, 60 years later! My husband and I read this as children and loved tbe 1956 tv series. We therefore tried it with our 9 year old grandson on zoom and we all enjoyed it thoroughly.

A great little tale of faith,hope and resilience in the face of great adversity.I remember the serial on BBC! and then reading the book borrowed from the library.It made an impression on me as a child of 8 years old and I would recommend it to children from 8 to 80 who enjoy a good yarn.